Thursday July 16, 2009

 

 

A Grave-Choosing Party

Yes, you read correctly.  Tonight we chose our future gravesite.

 

 

We have talked about doing this for the past few years, then several months ago the subject came up when I was talking to my Aunt Julia (white/pink blouse).  I discovered that the contact person for doing this at our church’s cemetery is her husband, Glen (center left). 

She said Warren and Ada just mentioned that they need to do that too.  I replied, “We will need to have a grave-choosing party.”  Sometime later I mentioned it to Warren and Ada, and they agreed.  This was the day we choose.

First we went out for supper at a local restaurant.

 

 

They were featuring tomato pie.  I could not turn that down – and it was delicious.

 

 

From there we went to the cemetery behind our church.  Uncle Glen showed us the diagram and told us that all the white areas are available.  Yellow is chosen, and red represents a burial.

Our church has a few old cemeteries in the area – dating back to the 1800s – where most of my Hershey ancestors are burried, as well as a young grandson.  This one was started about ten years ago, so there are many available plots. 

 

 

While walking around, Cerwin noticed that Marian Miller had a truck engraved on her husband, Daniel’s (Herb), tombstone.  (The bronze one in the background.)  In front of that is where Ralph Bollinger (a trucker friend) is buried.  I said, “Would you like to be buried with the truckers?”

 

 

After some discussion, that is the location we chose. 

Glen said this is a much nicer way for him to help someone choose a gravesite.  Most times he is helping a widow or widower, or parents with a young child.  This also makes it easier for survivors. 

Warren and Ada chose a spot behind where I am standing to take this photo.

 

 

Standing on our gravesite.  It’s interesting to think seriously about ones mortality.

 

 

The place where our lifeless bodies will someday lay – and the “real us” (spirit & soul) will be more alive than ever before.

 

 

Unless the Lord returns before our death –  one day there will be a tombstone between the bronze and grey ones – with the names Cerwin & Doris engraved on it.

 

 

It will be a pretty place for our bones to await the time when the dead in Christ will be resurrected.